MerryWhatever!
by JackiLeigh
Summary: Dean left and went off on his own. Throw in Ruby, demon blood, and Christmas, plus some good ole DeanHurt and SamComfort and this is what you get.
1. Chapter 1

Merry…Whatever!

 **AN: This is another DeanHurt fic because…well, why not?**

Dean was gone. It had been 3 days since he and Sam had had a huge fight. They had almost come to blows, yet again, over the demon blood and Ruby. Dean had asked Sam to choose. Sam had not even given it a thought. He made his choice and Dean left. Sam was used to that, the fighting and the storming off part. The young Winchester had done a little of the storming off himself a time or two. But he was usually back in a few hours. Dean was usually back by the morning if he went to a bar and 'hooked up.'

It was just unusual for Dean to be gone this long. But he had not really said anything to Sam before he left. He just went to the bathroom, got his things, packed his clothes and left in the Impala. Sam wasn't sure if Dean was coming back, at the time. Usually when they stormed off, mad at one another, they never packed. They just left. And for some reason Sam could not help but see images of his elder brother injured, or worse. So Sam had stayed at the hotel, waiting for his brother to return. He spent his time, drinking, pacing and staring out the window.

Days had turned into months. Three months to be exact and Sam had had to move on. He had hunted. He had used his connection to Ruby and she had taught him more about controlling his gift. He just wished that Dean could understand that he was using it in a positive way. But the elder Winchester wouldn't even listen to him on the subject.

SPN SPN SPN

Dean had been in a great deal of pain. He knew he was in a bad way. But old lessons die hard. He still was weary of strangers and strange cars. So when a car pulled up beside him, driven by a harmless-looking senior citizen, Dean still hesitated. Then she said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"I'll take you to your brother." The elderly lady said.

Dean stopped walking and stared, wide eyed, at the woman.

"Dean, I know where Sam is." She said. "Get in, I'll take you there."

"Who or WHAT are you?" Dean asked, still hesitating.

The elderly lady didn't answer. But Dean figured it out quickly. She was a demon. A demon named Ruby. She had just traded in her meat suit for an older model.

"I don't trust you, Ruby." Dean replied. He started to walk again.

Ruby drove alongside Dean for a few yards.

Dean stopped again. "Why are you doing this?"

Ruby sighed. "Sam needs you. He would, if he found out I found you injured and didn't help you…he would kill me."

Dean shook his head. "That wouldn't be a bad thing."

Ruby looked at the stubborn man, irritated. "Look, Sam needs his brother in his life. He needs you to…balance him out. Keep him sane. Keep him from going off the deep end."

Dean looked at her and smirked. "YOU are the deep end, Honey!" But he had to relent. He was in the middle of no-freakin'-where, and he knew he wouldn't be able to walk much further. "You take me right to Sam." Dean said as he got into the car. He took out his knife, making sure Ruby saw he had it in his hand.

"That won't be necessary, Dean."

Dean looked at Ruby, but didn't say a word. He just tightened his grip on the knife.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam was working in south Texas when he heard someone yelling in the parking lot of the motel where he was staying.

"Sam! Sammy! Where are you, Sammy?" The elder Winchester bellowed.

Sam thought he heard someone calling his name. He looked out the window in time enough to see a young man staggering towards the building. Sam stared for a moment. The man had dark hair, and he was tall and slender. He was severely injured, and his clothes were in tatters. He was holding his right arm close to his side, and he had blood streaming down the right side of his face.

Sam mouthed 'oh my god!' as he flung his motel door open and ran out into the parking lot.

"DEAN!" Sam yelled. The elder Winchester was still a distance away, but Sam was closing the gap fast.

Sam's stomach dropped as he got closer to his brother. Dean's injuries were extensive. He could tell Dean was in a lot of pain. Sam sped up as he watched Dean stop and drop to his knees. Sam was there to catch him before he fell to the ground.

Dean collapsed against him as Sam went down to his knees too.

"I've got you, Dean. It's okay. It's Sam. I'm here." Sam put his hand to his brother's back, it came away wet and warm. Dean's t-shirt and jacket were in shreds and were just hanging off his body. His back was covered in scratches. Some were superficial; others were deep and oozing bright red blood.

"Sammy?" Dean groaned out through clenched teeth.

"Dean, what did you do?" Sam asked as he cradled his brother. "Where have you been?"

Dean was beyond responding. He had passed out from the pain and the blood loss. And Sam half dragged, half carried Dean back to his motel room.

Sam managed to get Dean undressed and positioned well enough so that he could give Dean first aid. Sam quickly and expertly cleaned and bandaged his brother's wounds. And he set Dean's dislocated right shoulder. The younger hunter had been surprised that there was no ambulance outside his door. But he figured that the hospital or clinic or whatever was too far away. Or people figured Sam had things handled. Or they just didn't give a damn. Whatever the case, Sam was glad he didn't have to deal with hospitals and doctors right now. He was glad to have his brother back. He just wondered how Dean found him. He had not spoken to Dean in about a month. Sam then got up and looked in the pockets of Dean's jacket and jeans for his phone. He found it. But it was smashed. It looked like it had been dropped or ran over. The young man couldn't even get the phone to turn on. Sam tossed it in the trash. He would get Dean another phone before they left town.

Sam felt the energy change in the room. He grabbed his gun which was by his side and turned to greet his visitor.

"Easy, Winchester." Ruby said, putting up her hands. "It's just little ole me."

Sam put the gun on the bed. Ruby was not looking like herself. She was dressed as a granny in a granny's body.

"Just came to check on Dean." Ruby stated.

Sam stood, his temper flared. "What did you do to him?" He demanded.

'Granny' Ruby shook her head. "You really think your brother would have let me give him a ride?" She asked. "But me as a harmless old granny…."

Sam looked at Ruby, completely unconvinced.

Ruby sighed. "Look, whatever got him got him before I found him. He was walking beside the road when I saw him. I picked him up and brought him here, to you. I knew you were here."

Sam was very grateful, but could not express it.

"And you're welcome." Ruby said. She then went over and looked at Dean lying unconscious on the bed. She touched his forehead. "He's gonna be okay, Sam. But he's running a fever." She looked at Sam, smiled and then walked out the door.

Sam went over to his brother's bed and touched his forehead. It was warm, too warm. The young Winchester went into the bathroom and reappeared, seconds later, with a cold washcloth. He put it on Dean's newly washed and bandaged face.

Sam's mind went back to a time when he was about 7 and Dean was almost 12. Sam had gotten a bad cold. He had been lying in bed alternately shivering and sweating. He was giving Dean fits between throwing off the covers and then asking for more cover and hot chocolate.

Dean's moaning brought him back to the present. Sam wiped the sweat from his brother's brow. He then replaced the washcloth. He made a decision. He grabbed his car keys and headed to the nearest grocery store.

Christmas day was only 3 days away and even in this small town it was wall to wall people in the store. But Sam tried to hurry through. He got food and drink items. He got wrapping paper, a few decorations and even found Dean a present or two. Sam slipped back into the hotel room. He quickly wrapped and hid Dean's presents. He then set about putting up the small tree he had gotten. He hung the one sad string of lights he had gotten over the curtain on his window. And he sat the mini Santa Claus and Rudolph on top of the TV. Sam looked around the room, satisfied. It wasn't much, but it did make the room seem just a little bit festive.

Sam settled down on top of his bed to keep an eye Dean and to wait for him to wake up. He chose to watch an 'I Love Lucy' marathon.

SPN SPN SPN

The room was full of shadows and Dean had no idea where he was. He could see it was dark outside through the split in the curtains. And the room itself was only lit by the light from the TV Sam had left on when he had fallen asleep.

Dean grinned at his brother's attempt at Christmas decorating. The single strand of lights hung over the curtain, the figurines on the TV and the little tree that Sam had picked up. They had never really been into celebrating much since they had grown up. True, they did tend to take a break for a day or two. They figured all the bad-asses could wait one more day to be killed. They always managed to watch at least one Christmas movie together, though neither one would admit how much it made them yearn for simpler times. And, of course, there was always the 'loaded' eggnog and presents. They were usually last minute things, one trying to shop while the other wasn't looking, type thing. But they were presents never the less, and they were usually just what the other needed or wanted, so it all worked out.

Dean looked over at Sam reclined in the bed, laptop open and mouth open, snoring away. Dean watched his brother for just a moment longer before he was asleep again.

Sam jerked himself awake. He immediately looked over at Dean. Dean was asleep. Sam yawned and stretched. He then got up off the bed and headed for the bathroom. He then went to Dean's bed. He knew Dean was still running a fever and he wanted to try to get a little water and some pain medicine down him.

"Dean?" Sam said as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Dean shook his head. "Go away, Sammy."

"…need to take some pain killers and drink some water." Sam said, still sitting on the bed.

Dean seemed to wake up a little more. He was thirsty, very thirsty. Dean nodded and then Sam handed him the pills and then the water.

Sam took the water back, after Dean had finished with it and put it on the bedside table.

Dean looked at his brother and shook his head in disappointment. "Nothing's changed."

Sam just looked at him for a moment. "What….?"

"Ruby borrowed an old-lady meat suit and gave me a car ride, Sam." Dean replied, irritated. "She told me she could bring me to you. And as, I'm sure you could tell, I wasn't really in any shape to say no."

"Where's the Impala?" Sam asked, suddenly realizing.

"Don't change the subject, Sammy. What have you and HER been doing the last 3 months?"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sam didn't want to fight with Dean. He was actually glad to see his brother. He had missed the elder Winchester.

"Dean…" Sam pleaded. "Do we have to…?"

"I don't want to fight with you, Sammy. I really don't. But I come back…three months. I've warned you. I told you what Cas said." Dean shook his head. "What is it going to take for my little brother to get it through his thick head that this…power is not a good thing? No matter how good he thinks it is. Why else would that bitch know where you are?"

"Dean…." Sam started.

"She's using you, Bro." Dean sighed. "She's using you, and she's roped me in now. She told me I needed to be here, to balance you, so you wouldn't go off the deep end."

"What…what does that even mean? Go off the deep end?"

"I don't know." Dean admitted. He paused. "I get you trust her. She saved your life. But please just…."

"She saved your life too." Sam told him.

"What?"

"Like you said, you couldn't have made it much further without help." Sam said, trying to calm himself. He was angry at what Dean was saying, but he really, really didn't want to fight. And he knew just how to change the subject. "Which brings me to two questions; who or what got you? And, again, where is the Impala?"

Dean stared at his brother for just a second, as if he hadn't heard Sam the first time. He hadn't even missed his baby. Where was his baby? Dean tried to think. He had…he didn't know. He would just have to go and find her, retrace his steps.

"Man, I can't believe I left my baby behind." Dean said, angry with himself.

"Where is it?" Sam asked, he couldn't believe Dean didn't know where his car was.

Dean began to explain the time since he had last talked to his brother a month ago. Dean had stayed in West Texas for a week or two. He had tried to make time with a barmaid, until her hulk of a truck-driving boyfriend come back into town and caught Dean, mid-flirtation. He had to beat feet and get out of town. From there he had headed south on the path of a suspected witch who turned out to be 5% witch and 95% fraud. According to Dean's research her claim that her ancestor had been a witch in the Salem Witch Trials was true. The falsehood was that she, herself, possessed any of those abilities. He chastised her for taking poor, vulnerable, gullible people's money under false pretenses. Then he found a report of a werewolf in the southern part of the state. He traveled to within 30 miles of where he and Sam currently were. But, much to Dean's dismay, he encountered a pack of werewolves, which is rare. They were usually solitary creatures. Dean could have handled 2 or 3 alone. But the 5 he encountered. He still was not sure how he made it out of the place alive.

Dean finally remembered. He lost his keys in the struggle with those things. He had to have. He, after realizing he didn't have his keys in his pocket, took off through the woods. And luckily he had managed to get them off his trail. The next thing he knew he was being picked up by a demon in an old-lady suit.

Sam listened patiently and quietly as Dean told his story. Dean sat and watched his brother. He was unable to gauge Sam's mood or thoughts. Sam was wearing his poker face, which Dean didn't like. The elder Winchester tried to move on the bed and his chest and back made their protests known. He groaned and lay back down, breathing hard.

"Dean, I…it's not..." Sam said immediately getting up from his bed and moving over to Dean. He automatically checked his brother's bandages to see if they were in place and tosee if there was any blood. There were spots of blood on various bandages, but everything was still in place.

Dean knew what his little brother was doing and as much as he hated to be taken care of, he had to let Sam check him out.

Dean waited until Sam was finished so he could see Sam's face. "I know what you're gonna say, Sammy. And you're wrong. You weren't _just_ doing anything. That…bitch has something planned for you, for us." He paused. "And I can guarantee you, it ain't good."

Sam felt his anger rise, and he needed to think. He needed time away from the situation, from Dean. He knew Dean would be okay for a couple of hours. But just in case, Sam put two pain pills and a glass of water by the bed before leaving.

"Sam?" Dean said, he could tell something was going on.

The younger Winchester shook his head. "I need…some time, Dean. I just…give me some time."

Dean nodded. He then grabbed the pills and popped them in his mouth. He downed the glass of water.

Sam opened the door. He then turned around. "I'll be back in about an hour." He turned back to the door. "I'll look for the Impala." He muttered as he walked out the door.

Sam Winchester looked up as he opened his car door. He, again, sensed he had company.

Ruby got right to the point. "How's Dean?"

"Do you really care?" Sam asked as he opened the door and got into the car.

Ruby opened her mouth to answer as she pulled the handle on the passenger side door. She yanked the handle up hard, again. It didn't budge. She then went around to the driver's side of the car.

"What do you want?" Sam asked, not waiting for her to answer his first question. "I mean, what do you really want?"

"I told you." Ruby reminded him. She had told him, all she could tell him without revealing her true purpose.

"Demons lie." Sam replied.

"So…I'd just lie to you again. If that's what you believe. What's your point?" Ruby replied, being completely honest.

Sam didn't answer.

"Look, Sam, Dean is suspicious…of everything and everybody. That probably serves you guys well, hunting. It's probably saved your lives a time or two. But this is me you're talking too."

Sam nodded, feeling better about the whole situation. "Look, I need your help. Dean can't remember where he left the Impala. And now I have a second driver."

Ruby nodded. That had been a little too close for comfort. She couldn't spend all her time repeatedly reassuring Sam Winchester she didn't have ulterior plans for him, when, in fact, she did. It was exhausting.

Ruby agreed to help Sam find Dean's car. She got in and they drove out of the parking lot.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dean sighed. He knew he had made Sam mad. But he would not, could not let his brother continue in this relationship of his without having his eyes opened about a few things. Things Sam obviously couldn't or wouldn't see. In the world of the hunting ignorance of such realizations often got you killed.

Dean looked around the room again, he had forgotten about Christmas, almost. He had come across some things while in his travels the past three months. He had just hoped his brother would like them, if they were still in his baby when he found it. Dean thought as he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Dean didn't wake when Sam threw his keys onto his bed. He didn't even move. Sam was glad that the pain medicine was working for him. The young Winchester was also glad to get a reprieve. He didn't like arguing with Dean, especially now. Dean was in pain, and he really would need Sam's help for a while.

Dean woke up a few hours later. Sam had just let him sleep knowing that he needed the rest. Dean looked at his brother, confused, after he spotted the keys.

"How did you…?" Dean started to ask 'find my keys.'

The younger Winchester shook his head. "I didn't. I had a copy made."

Dean nodded, picking up the key and putting it on the bedside table. He looked back at his brother, hoping he would like the answer to the question he was going to ask.

Sam shook his head again. "She drove my car. I drove the Impala."

Dean nodded, feeling a lot better about the whole situation. "I've got a couple plastic bags and a newspaper in the back seat. Get them for me?"

Sam looked at his brother for a moment. He guessed this fight was over, at least for now. Sam sighed. He took his keys to the Impala out of his pocket as he walked out the door. He returned, moments later, bags and newspaper in hand.

Dean told him to put the items on the floor on the other side of the bed, the one near the door. Sam wondered why Dean didn't look into the bags. But he didn't ask. He just went to the bathroom. He then came out and ordered them pizza. He knew Dean was hungry because he was starving.

They ate their pizza in silence. Sam had turned the TV on as a distraction. He then fell asleep, half an eaten slice of pizza on his chest.

Dean looked over at his brother and grinned. He then leaned over the bed and picked up the newspaper and plastic bags. He had had to ask Sam to bring his own Christmas presents in, but Dean had no choice. He had planned on wrapping the presents sitting in the car, somewhere. But that had not happened. Dean tore the paper apart getting to the comics. He then used them and the tape he had stashed in one of the bags to wrap Sam's presents. He put the three things he had gotten his brother in one of the bedside table drawers. He then went back to watching the movie and was soon asleep.

SPN SPN SPN

Dean opened his eyes just as Sam finished cleaning and changing his bandages. The elder Winchester had been awake when Sam had started, but he just lay still and kept his eyes closed. It made things easier.

Sam smoothed down the last of the tape on Dean's back and then stood up. He gathered his supplies. "You can open your eyes now, Dean." He said, grinning.

"How did you know?" Dean asked. He hadn't moved or anything, he didn't think.

"You've always done that, even with Dad." Sam explained. "You would always flinch or make a face. You don't even realize you're doing it." The younger Winchester paused. "All I had to do was look in the mirror." He pointed to the floor-length mirror that was beside Dean's bed, on the closet door.

"Bitch!"

"Jerk!"

A comfortable silence feel between them as Sam cleaned up after himself and Dean got comfortable in the bed.

"Nice attempt there, Sammy." Dean said, talking about his Christmas decorations.

"You try shopping three days before Christmas, people pushing and shoving. I had to fight just to get eggnog. And an old lady almost took me out to get that strand of lights. She was hitting people with her purse."

Dean chuckled, even though it hurt. "People around here must take their Christmas very seriously."

"Huh, I guess." Sam said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He then went to their small kitchenette. He took out three presents he had placed on a bottom shelf. He brought them over to Dean's bed and lay them down.

Dean smiled. He loved presents. He loved giving them as much as he did getting them. He reached over and pulled out the second drawer of the bedside table to reveal Sam's presents inside.

"Wait!" Sam said, he quickly got up and went to the fridge. He pulled out the eggnog and the rum. He got two plastic cups. He poured eggnog in both but only put the rum in his. He then walked back to the Dean's bed and handed him his eggnog. "Can't open presents without eggnog."

Dean greedily took his cup. He took a sip and then made a face. "Dude, what is this crap…plain eggnog? Seriously?"

"Pain pills…remember?"

"Give me yours!" Dean demanded. He knew Sam's had alcohol in it. He reached out to take the cup.

Sam pulled his hand back. "No!"

"Give me it!" Dean demanded again.

Sam stood at the foot of Dean's bed and grinned as he sipped his eggnog.

"You are very lucky I can't get up out of this bed." Dean said, glaring at his brother.

"Just shut up and open your presents." Sam said as he sat back down and picked up his first present.

Soon Dean Winchester had a bottle of Jack Daniels, a copy of Busty Asian Beauties, and two bottles of motor oil. And Sam had his very own copy of a book on American folklore, an extra power cord for his computer, and his very own six pack of beer.

Sam opened one of the bottles and took a drink. He held his hand out to Dean. Dean reluctantly, very reluctantly, handed over his bottle of Jack.

"Don't drink it, Sammy."

"I'm putting it into the fridge until you can." Sam said as he brother pouted and sulked.

"Merry Christmas, Dean." Sam said sweetly, knowing it would bug the hell out of Dean.

"Yeah, Merry…Whatever." Dean replied, still sulking.

THE END

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. And best wishes for the New Year. Thanks for reading, JL.


End file.
